Naruto had never known time to drag like this.
The Hokage office, once a familiar place of scrolls and chatter, felt like a battlefield now.
He paced in tight circles, glancing up at the portraits on the wall.
The First smiled warmly, eternally kind.
The Second looked stern, judgmental.
The Third, ever wise.
The Fourth… his father.
Silent.
Still.
Naruto stopped in front of him.
“Dad… got any advice?”
The carved wood said nothing.
“Didn’t think so…”
The door clicked.
Kakashi stepped in, for once not fashionably late, his face unreadable behind the mask.
He went to his desk, sat down, and immediately flicked two fingers.
An ANBU appeared like breath fog on glass—silent, masked, respectful.
“Escort Naruto to the dungeon,” Kakashi said simply.
Naruto blinked.
“Wait—you’re not coming, sensei?”
“No.”
Naruto’s mouth opened, then closed.
He sighed and followed.
The Hokage tower’s lowest floor was colder than he remembered.
Naruto tried to lighten the mood, just a little.
“So uh… you’ve ever been married?”
Silence.
“No? Okay… uh… know any good conversation starters for criminal warlords?”
Nothing.
“Dude, come on, even Sai gives better company—”
The ANBU stopped.
A gate loomed ahead.
Thick iron bars.
A flicker of chakra as seals lifted.
Inside, the cell was dim.
Damp stone, silence… and her.
Tied like a silken cocoon, her entire body encased in a restraint seal wrap from neck to toe.
Visors sealed her Rinnegan and Sharingan.
She tilted her head at the sound of steps.
“…Naruto?”
He winced.
She recognized me by my footsteps?
“Hey, uh, Sasuke. Hope you had a nice sleep.”
No answer.
“Uh… how’s the hand?” He raised his bandaged prosthetic awkwardly, flexing it.
“I’m still getting used to mine,” he added sheepishly.
“How’s your arm—”
Idiot.
Her arms were bound.
She couldn’t even twitch.
He looked around the cell, desperate for something.
“So, um… nice cell?” he offered weakly.
A long silence.
“…Stop fooling around.”
“Yeah, uh. Sorry. Y’know.” He rubbed his neck.
“So. Uh. You know… what’s your answer? And hey—it’s fine if you disagree! Seriously. We’ll fake your execution, I have this crazy plan, smoke bombs, a clone decoy, I can hide you underground for years! I swear I can pull it off, just say the word—”
“…Naruto.”
“YES?!”
“After a lot of consideration,” she said slowly, “I have decided to…”
Of course.
He braced for it.
Decline it.
Obviously.
What was I thinking?
I’m such an idiot, she’ll never—
“…accept Kakashi’s alternative.”
Naruto stared at her.
His jaw dropped.
“…what?!”